Shadowplayer
by cliffdiving
Summary: Ginny Weasley has to learn the hard way that there is no pure evil or pure good. Just the shadows between. Will she have to sacrifice everything she believes in to save the ones she loves? A story of hate and love, deception and truth.
1. Prolog

**Disclaimer**

If I owned it Ginny would not be a secondary character. As it is all belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

**Prologue**

The day that decided the fate of Ginevra Weasley and the Wizarding World once and for all was one of the most beautiful days in history. It was one of those days that the weather gods apparently have designed for the one and only purpose of being perfect.

A day when the news told you in the morning to take a day off because just thinking of work would be a crime. A day when the only problems you had where the questions where the next swimming pool was and where you could get ice cream to cool off.

It was really a shame that Ginny Weasley couldn't appreciate that day like it should have been appreciated. But well… when the chance to see the sunset on a day is even more slim than being nominated for the Nobel price in chemistry you don't walk around smiling.

The only remotely sunny thing Ginny did today was choosing a summer dress to wear. Although if she was truthful to herself she had chosen it more because she knew it would be a provocation than anything else - at least that was why she chose the colour. A nearly blinding unrelieved white.

Not that Ginny was a spiteful person. It was just that she desperately wanted to make a point. Very desperately.

'_The only good thing about all this is that if I die I die looking awesome' _Ginny thought sarcastically '_Coco Chanel would be proud of me._'

And she did indeed look awesome. The thin white material of the dress hugged here womanly curves just like a second skin ending not more than an inch above her knees. Still with its modest neckline it did have an aura of childlike innocence. The white colour brought out a soft rose shimmer on Ginny's pale skin and made her beautiful brown eyes shine with intensity. But the most outstanding thing about the dress was the way it contrasted with her luscious dark red hair that fell in soft waves past her shoulders like dancing flames. A beautiful white orchid hold back a few strands over her ear only accenting the effect. All in all Ginny Weasley looked like the epitome of innocent beauty and that was exactly what she was aiming for.

'_and even if it doesn't work it still earns me a place in the Top 100 Women Best dressed on their own Funeral._' Ginny concluded with a bitter smile.

She felt the warm rays of sunlight tickle slightly on her skin. It was really a beautiful day. If things were different she would now be planning a summer party by the lake. There would be lots of laughing and drinking and perhaps someone would play the guitar next to a crackling campfire.

But things weren't different and she had the bad feeling that the only party today was somehow closely linked to her funeral. The only singing there would probably be a combination of her name and every swearword humanity could come up with.

And speaking about fire, she sincerely hoped that nobody would come up with the ingenious idea of reviving the wonderful medieval tradition of burning witches.

Despite the warm weather a deep chill travelled up her spine. Ginny had come a far way from the shy girl who wasn't able to say a straight sentence to Harry Potter but you can be in the centre of everyone's attention in a good way and in a bad way.

And being stared at with varying degrees of disappointment (the friendly people) and hate (the not so friendly people) by around 90 percent of the Wizarding Community of Great Britain was definitely a very bad kind of attention.

She feared that she probably earned every single look that was aimed at her. But, although nobody knew, not for the crimes she had already committed - quite a few when she thought about it- but for the one that she was planning to commit today.

'_Oh come on Ginny' _a voice in her head snarled _'what are you? A lion or a mouse?' _

"A lioness!" she told the awfully familiar voice in her head. It seemed she had spoken out loud because now many people looked as if she was out of her mind.

But this time she didn't shrink back. She returned their gazes with a haughty stare of her own. She was not ashamed of herself now and would never be.

After all she did what she did out of love. That had to count for something.

A strong wind began to tear at her dress, making it flap at her legs.

She drew a deep breath. It was time.

Time to turn around and face her judgement.

When she did so the wind grew even stronger, it blew back her long red hair like a war flag making the white flower fly away like a afraid little bird. The young witch's hands clenched into little fists. Now she wished she had brought her wand with her.

What was meant as a sign of audacity and steeliness now felt a lot more like stupidity.

Though they would have taken the wand away from her by now anyway.

Ginny prepared herself and raised her eyes to the ones in front of her.

She was a real Gryffindor after all. She would not falter.

"I do not know what you expect from me. Perhaps to grovel in fear and shame. Perhaps a teary confession of my sins. I cannot give you anything of that."

When Ginny began to speak a deep silence engulfed the place. Her voice was loud and strong and there was no waver in it.

"The only thing I can give you is something I have not given anyone for a long time. Sometimes I nearly forgot myself what it means.

Something that might turn the way you see the world upside down. Something that you might fear. Something that might break you heart."

Ginny knew that she stood at a crossroad now, the next minutes would decide the direction of her life from now on or if she even had a life after this day.

But when you stand at a cliff top what other way is there than down?

A blazing looked entered her eyes and her lips turned into a challenging smile transforming her face into that otherworldly beauty that only she possessed in moments like these.

"The only thing I can give you is the truth!"


	2. Awakening of a witch

_**AN:**_

_Dear readers, I just want to mention a few things before the story continues._

_The prolog is in fact happening near the end of the actual story. That means that many things that may seem a bit strange or confusing will be explained later in the story. For example why Ginny knows so much about the muggle world or what she did to make everyone so angry at her. I don't want to give too much away, but I can definitely say that Ginny is a witch and no muggle. In the prolog Ginny starts to recount her life story, so basically this is what the fic is about. Starting at her childhood and then highlighting the most important parts of her life. It will roughly follow the books till book seven before it goes completely AU. So long thank you for your reviews. Enjoy! _

_**Disclaimer:**_

_If I owned it they would have cooler pets than a rat or an owl._

_But it all belongs to J.K. Rowling._

_**Awakening of a witch**_

_12 years earlier_

Molly Weasley slammed down her fork on the full breakfast plate in front of her sending slices of toast and scrambled egg flying all over the kitchen table.

"George Weasley! I swear, if you don't stop trying to put this bug into Percy's porridge you will not play Quidditch for at least a month." she screamed at one of the 5 little red haired children sitting with her on the table.

Promptly, one of the boys, who wore glasses and was very skinny, pushed his plate away crying out:" Mum, Mum! He put a bug in. I won't eat it! I won't eat it!"

Next to him a perhaps ten-year-old boy with a mischievous look in his blue eyes asked his mother:" Can't you even tell your own children apart? I'm Fred."

And the boy who sat across from him and looked exactly like his mirror image added:

"Why do you always blame _me, _Mum? That hurts."

Molly Weasley took a deep breath to calm herself before she turned to her third eldest son Percy. " Percy, there is nothing in your porridge. He only _tried _to put it in. So please just eat it. And George. I'm very sorry I blamed you. But you know you…"

"He's not George. He's Fred." piped up the only girl on the table with a knowing smile.

"Ginny! You little telltale!" George screamed out lunging at his little sister and knocking over the fifth child on the table, seven-year-old Ron. When Ron began to cry and George started to tear at Ginny's hair, Molly had enough.

"That's it. I swear one day you will be the end of your poor old mother. If you can't eat your breakfast like civilized people you won't get any. So out with all of you."

"But Mum! I'm hungry!" cried out George. "Well, then you should have thought about that _before_ you tried to pick on your brother. Out with you!"

So directly confronted with the famous Weasley temper the children decided that it was time for a tactical retreat. The twins as always in front and a still snivelling Ron lacking a bit behind they scurried out the backdoor into the sunlit garden.

"Merlin, sometimes I really rue the day I decided to even have _one _child. Not even speaking of seven!" Molly grumbled while she started to clean up the mess that was all that was left of their breakfast.

"Oh Molly darling you know that you don't really mean that." said a amused voice directly behind her. Molly turned around to see her husband Arthur standing in the kitchen doorway already in his black working robes and a big grin on his face.

"What have our wonderful children done today?" he added before he took a buttered slice of toast giving his wife a kiss on the cheek on his way to the kitchen counter.

"George tried to pick on Percy as always.", Molly sighed. " You know, sometimes I'm really afraid of next year when the twins will attend Hogwarts. All they ever think about is their next prank. I don't think they will be as successful as Bill who's a prefect now or Charlie…"

"Oh don't worry so much!" Arthur chided her softly." We have seven wonderful children. They will all turn out great. And Percy and the twins… A few pranks won't kill him, you know. Since he started school last year he turned into quite the bookworm. It would be good if he loosens up a bit."

"Arthur…" Molly started again, but he silenced her with a kiss. " Don't worry!" he repeated tenderly. Then he grabbed his cloak and went to the door. " See you at dinner, darling!" he said before leaving for the Ministry of Magic.

"_Men!" _Molly thought "_It's all easy for them. They don't have to raise the little mischiefs! _

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Little six-year-old Ginny stood between her older brothers trying to get their attention while they argued.

"Wonderful! You know that this is all your fault, yes?" Percy was just telling George.

"Oh come on Percy perfect! If you weren't such a crybaby…"

"I didn't cry! Ron cried!" Percy defended himself. "Only because George hurt me!" the youngest boy clarified indignantly.

"What is it Ginny?" Fred asked after realising that their sister had something to say.

"We can play Quidditch now we are outside!" the little red haired girl said with an excited glimmer in her eyes.

"She's right!" George exclaimed brightly. Immediately the five children started for the broom shed at the edge of the garden. But when they had nearly reached it, George stopped Ginny with his hand on her shoulder.

"Ohm, no sport for little witches, you know." he stated. " What!?!" Ginny screeched. "But I want to fly on a broom." She threw a very angry glance at her brothers.

"Sorry Gin. You are still too young." Fred added. "But Ron is only one year older. And he is allowed to play."

"Well Gin. That's because he's a boy and you are a girl. Quidditch isn't a sport for sweet little girls like you."

Ginny felt anger well up inside of her. That was so unfair!

"But Ron is such a crybaby! I never cry. And Percy, he's so bad at playing Quidditch!" she argued.

Fred looked thoughtful:" Well probably you…"

"…are better than Percy! But that…" George continued.

"isn't saying much!" his twin ended.

" I don't really _need_ to play with you children. In fact I have better things to do!" Percy answered offended. He turned around and walked back to The Burrow.

"Oh yes Percy! Go back to your books. It's not as if you have any other friends."

George called after him.

"Still…" Fred said looking at his sister again. "You can't play! It's too dangerous!"

He and the other boys quickly moved away when they saw the anger in the little girls eyes. " You are such stupid…gits!" she shrieked loudly stomping her petite foot. Her red hair seemed to glow when she ran back to the house.

"Wow!" Ron murmured "That was loud! I can't hear anything anymore."

Ginny reached the back door of the Burrow. She felt angry tears well up in her eyes. But she would not cry she swore.

"_It unfair! Unfair! Only because I'm a girl and younger than them." _she thought furious with her brothers. She opened the door, stepped through and …walked directly into someone much bigger than her.

"Uff!" she said before falling flat on her bottom. She looked up to see her eldest brother standing in the doorway. His hair had the same colour as hers and nearly reached his already broad shoulders. Bill had turned sixteen this year and was quite the ladies' man with his clothes - today a black leather jacket- and the glittering fang earring. And he was Ginny's favourite brother.

"Bill!" she exclaimed happily. "Hey ginbug. What are you doing on the floor?" he smiled. "What are _you_ doing?" "Well, I'm off to Diagon Alley with a friend." "With a girl?" Ginny asked " Is she your girlfriend? Is she pretty?"

Bill laughed " Yes it's a girl. And she is pretty. But you shouldn't be this curious."

He bent down and picked her up from the floor twirling her around him in a circle. " But not as pretty as you little sister. You know you will always be my favourite girl." he tickled her until she screamed and begged for mercy. After putting her down again, he pulled on one of her locks and said:" Goodbye Gin." then he turned around and left.

Ginny smiled. Bill could always cheer her up!

Still she hadn't forgotten the incident with her other brothers. She would fly on a broom today whatever she had to do to achieve that goal. Ginny sat down in her beloved old armchair in the living room and begun to plan.

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A few hours later she got her chance. She heard the twins tormenting Ron upstairs. Percy was still in his room reading. It was now or never!

Ginny snuck into the kitchen and out the back door. The garden was deserted. She quickly made her way to the broom shed.

Then she heard it. It wasn't very loud, but still clear. A soft whining noise. She stood still and looked around. Nothing!

But there, near the fence. Wasn't there something red? Ginny carefully went closer.

There it was. A little bird? But something was very wrong. Instead of feathers it had lots of red scales on its body and a vicious long tail with a spike at its end. Ginny felt that the little thing was quite dangerous.

She made a step backwards. And then she looked into its eyes. It had very beautiful golden eyes, full of hurt. And the reason was obvious. One of its wings was bend in an unnatural angle. It seemed to be broken. Ginny knew that she had to help the poor creature whatever it was.

She ran back to the house screaming for her mother on the way. "What is it darling?" Molly asked when her daughter entered the kitchen white eyed and panting.

"There is a little bird. And it's hurt. Quick mum, you have to help him."

Molly followed her agitated daughter outside, but when they reached the tiny creature she grabbed Ginny's arm and hold her back.

"Ginny! Be careful! It's a scorpibird. They are poisonous, child. " " But Mum! It's hurt!" " Yes! And if we touch it, it might hurt us. They are evil cunning little creatures." While speaking Molly began to go back to the house pulling Ginny with her. "Come now Ginny! There is nothing we can do." Ginny reluctantly followed her mother but she kept looking back to the bird. She couldn't forget that beautiful but hurt eyes.

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The Weasleys sat down to dinner just after Arthur had returned from work. Actually Molly wanted to tell the others about the scorpibird. But as always they had not even started to eat when George tried to put a bug in Percy's shirt. A few minutes later Ron levitated a potato at Ginny's head. " Ron! You are not allowed to do magic!" his sister screamed at him. " It's not my fault." he answered " It just happened!" " You lie!"

" You are only jealous that you can't do magic! Who knows? Perhaps you are only a squib!" "Ron!" Molly sternly said to her youngest son. " If you ever say that to your sister again… You will apologize this second!" But it was already too late. Ginny had jumped up from her chair. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes full of tears. "I hate you!" she screamed at Ron and ran upstairs.

There she threw herself on her bed crying even harder. It was all so unfair! First the broom incident, then the bird and now this. She hated being made fun of because she hadn't done anything magical yet. And Ron! He had not even made one little twinkle of magic, before their ancient aunt Muriel tried to throw him out the first floor window half a year ago. He really had no reason to behave as if he was the next Godric Gryffindor.

Her parents always told her not to worry. It sometimes took a few years longer before a child used magic for the first time. Still, they had banned aunt Muriel from The Burrow until Ginny showed her magical abilities.

Perhaps she was really a squib. Or a muggle. The twins sometimes told her that she was the only female Weasley child, because their parents had found her on their doorstep, where some poor muggle family left her as a baby.

No, she was a witch. She was sure. And she would show them that she was no little crybaby like Ron.

Ginny waited for one hour hoping that her family would go to bed soon, then she took one of her old shirts ,or better one of Ron's or Charlie's old shirts, and went outside again. It was dark now and only the full moon threw soft rays of light into the garden.

Ginny very carefully looked around. It took her a moment to see the scorpibird in the shadows, but after she found it she lost no time. She knelt down in front of it and, only hesitating for a second, she put the shirt around the tiny bird. When nothing happened, she took everything in her arms and stood up carefully. The bird only peeped softly.

Ginny quickly went back to the house. The scorpibird seemed to press itself against her. It shivered slightly. " You know that I only want to help you, don't you?" Ginny whispered while she climbed up the stairs to her little room.

After opening the door as silently as possible, she gently lowered her burden on her narrow bed.

In the small light of her bedside lamp, she studied her little patient more closely for the first time.

Ginny's first thought was that her mother had been completely and utterly wrong. The small animal in front of her was in no way vile. No, the only word to describe it was indeed beautiful. Not in a similar manner as a colourful tropical bird or a sweet kitten, but the graceful fascinating beauty of a born predator. Something that draws you inexplicably closer, even when you know you should better run away from it.

The scorpibird wasn't large. From it's scaled head to the dangerous spike it was not bigger than seven inches including the long tail. The lithe serpent-like body was covered in small red scales, while the wings were just like bird wings. When Ginny tentatively touched the uninjured wing she was amazed how soft the white feathers felt under her fingers. But the scorpibird's most astonishing feature, apart from its vicious looking spike, were its eyes. Although its head looked like a dragon's, it did not have the typical slit pupils. The creature's eyes were big and golden, gleaming like liquid gold. As Ginny looked deep into these strangely intelligent eyes she felt something. Some sort of recognising, like seeing an old friend after years of separation.

The little girl was sure that whatever her mother said: the bird would never intentionally hurt her. She smiled down at it and spoke quietly: " You need a name if you stay with me, little bird. I don't know. Perhaps…" She glanced at the fiery scales and golden eyes. " Firefly? Do you like that? Firefly!" The scorpibird cocked his head and gave her a curious stare. " Well, it's Firefly then." Ginny concluded. "Ok Firefly. You must be very hungry. You stay here and I will get you something to eat!" She gave the scorpibird one last considerate look and went down into the kitchen again. Everything was quiet in here. It seemed Ginny was indeed lucky and everyone else was already in bed. She swiftly passed the kitchen table and approached the fridge.

The little girl struggled with the heavy door for a moment, but then it suddenly opened with a rather loud bang. Ginny froze watching the staircase to the upper floor with an anxious expression on her face. Did someone hear her?

After a few moments of silence she resumed her task. "_Oh no_!" she thought _" I don't have a clue what scorpibirds eat_!" After rummaging through the fridge for a while she decided to try some bread, carrots and canned sausages. She lifted everything up in her arms and went back to her room.

To her relief Firefly lay on her bed in exactly the same position she had left him. Ginny sat down next to him and started to offer him the food. When she gave him the bread he only nibbled at it and spat it out after a second. The carrots only earned a disgusted look, though the sausages were a success. Firefly emptied the whole can in record time. He was clearly no vegetarian.

"I will get you more tomorrow, Firefly." Ginny promised. " Now we have to make you a bed. Let me think…" She looked around her room hoping for anything that would work.

Her doll's pram! When aunt Muriel gave it to her last Christmas she instantly hated it. Who needed a magical puppet that acted like a real baby anyway? She grabbed the puppet at its feet ignoring its squeals and flung it in her wardrobe. Then she carefully placed Firefly in his new home next to her bed. "Time to sleep now. Goodnight Firefly!" she murmured climbing in her bed. A soft peep was the only thing she heard before exhaustion overwhelmed her.

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In the beginning everything went well. Firefly was in many ways the perfect pet. He was quiet and clean and he loved it when Ginny petted the spot behind his ears always making his little peep sound when she did it. Even feeding him wasn't the problem. Smuggling food out of the kitchen was easy with six brothers who were always hungry. No, the problem was his wing. Ginny was sure he would not die because of it. But if she didn't do anything he would never fly again. And that she could not bear.

Sometimes she sat in front of him for hours wishing for him to heal. Her mother had always told her that magic can happen if you wish for it hard enough. And Ginny wished for it with all her heart.

She did not know that her wish would come true in a way she couldn't have expected.

Ginny had gone downstairs to get some sausages for her little scorpibird when she heard a loud shriek from her room. She ran back as fast as she could. The moment she opened the door she knew that something awful was happening. Her brother Ron was lying on the floor screaming and the doll's pram was upside down on the floor. "There's a monster! A monster!" Ron screeched. " What have you done Ron?" Ginny asked furious with her brother. " I…I…I just looked insight because I h…h..heard something. And this _monster_ attacked me. I was only t…t…trying to get away." Ron murmured between sobs. "It's no monster, it's my _pet_!" Ginny snapped at him while she searched for Firefly. There he was! But he looked awful, the broken wing even more damaged than before!

"Ronald, what happened? Are you hurt?" Mrs Weasley had entered the room. " There is a monster in Ginny's room, Mum! It growled at me. I was so afraid." Ron flung himself in his mothers arms. " Ginny, what's the meaning of this?" Molly asked her daughter. But Ginny did not answer. She was kneeling in front of Firefly softly petting him. "Everything will be alright, Firefly. I will help you Firefly…" But deep insight she knew that nothing was alright. She could see the liquid gold in his eyes getting dimmer and dimmer. Ginny carefully lifted him up in her arms before she turned to her mother and brother. " That is your fault, Ron. You killed him!" she said while tears streamed down her face. " Oh Merlin Ginny! Let go of it! I told you not to touch this thing!" Mrs Weasley made a step towards her daughter, but before she reached Ginny she abruptly stopped.

Her daughter had begun to glow. She was staring at Firefly, her eyes still full of tears. Her hair seemed to blow in an invisible wind looking like smoldering fire. Ginny extended her arms. She felt like never before. A strange energy hummed in her ears. Looking at Firefly she thought: _Heal_! And like her the scorpibird began to glow. Soon his blazing scales rivalled even Ginny's hair. She saw his injured wing bending itself back in the right position, all the little bones healed in a second. Ginny could feel the energy flow from herself to the little bird. Firefly started to beat his wings. Then he left her arms flying through the room to the open window. She thought he would leave but directly in front of the opening he changed directions coming back to her. The scorpibird hovered in front of her face and their eyes met. At that moment Ginny felt a happiness she had never experienced before. She felt … complete. Like everything was right in that moment and would always be. Firefly cocked his head and then he vanished through the window like a small red bolt.

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley asked "Are you ok?" She was a bit shocked when her daughter turned to her and her eyes glowed like liquid gold. But after a few seconds the glow dimmed more and more and Ginny looked just like before. "Oh Ginny!" Mrs Weasley took her daughter in her arms. " I was so afraid. Don't you ever dare giving me such a fright again! Playing with scorpibirds…" Ginny didn't say anything for a while. She knew that she did nothing wrong. Her mother just didn't understand. But she also understood now that sometimes even when you are right, nobody will believe you. " Ok Mum." she whispered at the end. Deep inside she swore that she would always do what was right, whatever others said, whatever the cost. That feeling…that feeling of helping someone who needed help, it was worth it.

Little did she know that she shocked her mother more than she could ever imagine. Because Molly Weasley realized two things on the day her daughter proved she really was a witch: Ginny would one day be a very powerful witch and she saw goodness even in the vilest creatures. And in their world that was a very deadly combination.


	3. Keep your enemies close

_**Disclaimer:**_

_Everything that reminds you of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling._

_**Keep your enemies close**_

_Ginny's second year_

With a loud scream Ginevra Weasley brandished her wand like a sword aiming it at the mirror covered wall of the Room of Requirement. To her in no way small satisfaction one mirror cracked directly in the middle sending razor sharp shards of glass falling on the dusty floor with a loud clank.

" Take that! " she growled viciously before she put back her wand in her jeans pocket. When she trained she always dressed casually. Today it was a red Gryffindor sweater and a rather baggy pair of old jeans. Her black school robes lay abandoned on a small table that was, except for two comfy leather armchairs, the only furniture in the room.

Ginny felt a drop of sweat travel down her spine. She looked at her watch. "_Five o'clock! I've been here for over two hours! I better go before someone misses me_."

The little redhead went to the table and quickly put on her robe. Her gaze wandered over the impressive amount of books piled up on the table and even on the second armchair she never used. Nearly everyone of them dealt with the same topic: Defence against the Dark Arts.

Her finger absentmindedly trailing the title of one book (_Confronting the faceless_) Ginny thought about her reasons for coming here.

When Ginny Weasley had first arrived at Hogwarts she felt as if she was the happiest witch on earth. She could not remember one moment of her life in which she wasn't anxious for her first school year to begin. Every year when her family went to platform 9 ¾ and her brothers boarded the Hogwarts Express Ginny stood at the platform wishing it was _her_ finally going to Hogwarts.

And then, after what felt like decades for poor Ginny, the desired day arrived.

There she was, gliding in a boat over the lake, walking through the candle-lid Great Hall, an excited glimmer in her eyes and a happy smile on her face.

But it was only moments later when the youngest Weasley child began to understand that reality would not fulfil all the dreams she had as a child.

When the black a bit shabby looking Sorting Hat touched her head, she expected it to scream "Gryffindor!" after a second. She was a Weasley after all.

The sorting hat, however, did nothing of that sorts. To be honest he seemed a bit, well…confused. " What do we have here? Another Weasley…But you are not like the others, aren't you little witch?" he told her." I sense great power, oh yes, and you are very intelligent. You would be great in Ravenclaw. But…you also have a very compassionate heart…Perhaps Hufflepuff…"

" Oh, no!" Ginny thought panicking slightly "_Not Hufflepuff! Fred and George will tease me till the end of my life_."

The sorting hat continued: " Oh hoh! You are a cunning little witch. Sneaking away on your brothers brooms since you were six…Slytherin is also an option."

Ginny felt a blush creep up her face. It seemed Hufflepuff was not the worst thing that could happen. " And I sense a lot of bravery in you. You will always stand up for your beliefs. Very Gryffindor." The sorting hat seemed to think about it. " I never really had a case like yours before little Ginevra. You would do great in all houses in one way or another. Perhaps you should choose by yourself." What?" Ginny thought outraged "Isn't that _your_ job?" " Well, yes. But I really don't know were to put you and we don't have all day girl. So just pick one."

" I … It's Gryffindor, of course." Ginny whispered. " That wasn't very hard, wasn't it? Gryffindor!" barking out the last word the sorting hat finally let her go.

Under the loud jeering of the whole Gryffindor table Ginny walked down to sit with her brothers, Harry and Hermione.

" Hey gin bug! What took the old hat so long? We started to fear you would end up in Hufflepuff." Fred asked her after everyone had complimented her on being in Gryffindor. Ginny faked a smile:" Just talking about the family. He is quite curious, but you would be too if you only came out here once a year ." Fortunately Fred accepted her explanation and turned back to George to discuss a new spell they wanted to try on Filch.

Ginny sighed. Of course she was happy to have made in into Gryffindor, but she could not shake off the thought that she somehow tricked her way in and did not really belong there. A small part of her expected that any second now someone would point at her asking why she sat at the Gryffindor table when she wasn't even worth to call herself a Gryffindor.

After that day everything had become worse. Her brothers and their friends never had time for the "little sister", barely ever speaking with her. And her classmates? Ginny had always been in the centre of her families attention but she soon discovered that with so many new people around she turned more and more into a shy girl. Furthermore her worn robes and second-hand books did not make it easier do find friends. They along with her telltale red hair only made her subject to most of the Slytherin taunts in her year. Due to all of this Ginny felt lonely, perhaps for the first time in her entire life. Oh yes, she was on friendly terms with the girls in her dormitory, Rebecca and Jules, but there was no one she would really call a friend.

It was no surprise that after some time she depended more and more on the diary she had found among her others books after the visit to Diagon Alley. The diary Lucius Malfoy had slipped her on purpose on that day, as she learned later. The diary that had belonged to Lord Voldemort when he himself had been a student at Hogwarts and had contained a part of his soul. The diary that had possessed her and forced her to open the Chamber of Secrets endangering the whole school. The diary that would have certainly killed her if Harry Potter had not saved her.

Harry…Her determination to learn how to defend herself had very much to do with him.

Ginny knew that she had a soft spot for Harry Potter, she always had and perhaps always would. She still remembered the first time she saw him at The Burrow. She nearly fainted because she was so excited. The saviour of the Wizarding World in _their_ kitchen, speaking with _her_ brother! She had always been too shy to talk to him but deep inside she had hoped that one day he would turn around telling her how much he liked her from the first day on. And when he saved her, risking his own life for hers, she thought all her dreams had come true. He was her white knight protecting her from the world.

"_Oh come on Ginevra, how childish can you get?" _she thought angry at herself for letting her mind wander like this. She started to sing her favourite song of the Weird Sisters _"I don't need a hero, I just need a real man." _and arranged the books into neat little piles.

It had been the beginning of her second year when she finally realised the truth. Harry did not rescue her because he harboured any secret feelings for her. No, he just did it because it was his way. Harry Potter was the born hero, there to save the world and rescue maidens in peril. And she was nothing more than his best friend's little sister. If Harry ended up with a girl it would be someone much more popular and pretty than her. Someone like Cho Chang or Lavender Brown.

When Ginny realized this she made a decision. She could not wait all her life for a hero to save her. She had to be able to defend herself when the time came. She would be a brave, proud Gryffindor and no one would ever dare to mess with her ag….

" You know Weasley, the best thing I can say about your abilities is that you have a nice singing voice. That's a bit disappointing isn't it?" a voice drawled behind her. Ginny gave off a loud shriek spinning around as fast as she could and knocking a few books off the table in the progress.

" Perhaps I've been wrong. That shriek of yours surely can render people deaf for a while." A boy stepped out of the shadows near the door of the room an amused smile playing on his lips.

Ginny stared at him: startling blue eyes, soft brown skin and short black hair.

"Zabini! What are you doing here? " she asked totally perplexed.

He had reached the table and bent down to pick up her books from the floor.

" Mmh, _Confronting the faceless_. Interesting choice, weaslette. That's a sixth year book, isn't it? And if I'm not very much mistaken you are in second year with me. Or is there _another_ female Weasley?" he asked in mock horror handing her the books.

" That's none of your business. And you haven't answered my question, Zabini. What are you doing here?" Ginny quickly grabbed her books holding them in front of her body like a shield.

"Isn't that obvious? We're in the Room of Requirement. The only way I could have come inside is by having the same reasons like you for coming here."

He made it sound so easy. It took her _weeks_ to find that room after she read about it in _Hogwarts: A history _! Ginny decided it was time to teach the arrogant Slytherin a little lesson.

"You have an unrequited crush on Harry Potter, too? Wow, I never would have guessed _that_." Ginny said with a twinkle in her brown eyes.

Blaise visibly recoiled:" No! Ugh, you have sick ideas, do you know that, Weasley? I, like you, have decided that it might be beneficial for me to be able defend myself when the time comes." He picked up the books on the second armchair and sat down. "Hey!", Ginny exclaimed. " I never allowed you to sit down!"

" I stood over an hour at the door watching you twirl around like a little whirlwind. I think I have earned myself a chance to sit down." Ginny felt herself blush. He had observed her for over an hour? Merlin, he probably thought she was crazy.

" You know Weasley you aren't a hopeless case. But we really have to work on your surveillance abilities. I could have hexed you at least a hundred times and you did not even know I was there." Blaise seemed to think that the whole situation was very funny.

" _We_ have to work…? Strange. I can't remember agreeing to train with _you_!" Ginny said trying to get rid of him. But the dark Slytherin ignored her comment and picked up one of her books again.

"_Cunning and sly: 101 ways to deal with your enemies_" That's Slytherin basis literature. Why did you decide to read that, Weasley?" Ginny examined the boy for a moment. He returned her piercing gaze with one of his annoying smiles.

" Never heard of the saying: Know your enemies? " she answered after a while.

" Not bad, Weasley! Now listen to me. We have a common goal, you and I. We both want to learn how to defend ourselves. And you have to admit it: With a training partner it will be a lot easier to achieve that goal."

" Perhaps you are right Zabini, I do need a training partner. But why should I choose _you _of all people? " " Well, Weasley. Let's just say if there was anybody else you would have asked him by now. I mean you have come here for at least two months…" He had followed her for two _months_? " What are you Zabini?" Ginny blurted out. " A stalker?"

Blaise winked at her." You're an attractive girl, Weaslette. And now we are all alone…" He could not even finish his sentence when Ginny suddenly pointed her wand at him screaming           " Petrificus Totalus!" Blaise's body immediately went limp and started to slide out of the armchair.

Ginny was a bit shocked at her own actions. She had reacted without really thinking about it. After watching Blaise for a moment she went to him searching for his wand. She finally found it in the left pocket of his trousers. The redhead aimed both wands at the Slytherin and said the counter curse lifting the spell.

" Hell, Weasley! If you wanted to feel me up you just had to say it! "When Blaise saw her angry face he sighed:" It was a joke, Weasley. Calm down. I swear I won't hit on you. Ok? I just wanted to know where the youngest Weasley was sneaking to every day. " Ginny considered his answer. She desperately needed a partner or she would never be able to train any counter curses. Moreover the Slytherin had never directly picked on her like the other members of his house. And perhaps he could teach her some sly Slytherin tactics as well… Ginny made a decision:

" Ok Zabini. There is one problem left with this little arrangement. How could I trust you? I mean I'm a Griff, you are a Slytherin. Perhaps you only want an opportunity to hex me." " I did not hex you today, Weasley and I had more than one opportunity. If this is not enough, I will of course swear on my wizard's honour." He looked Ginny deep in her brown eyes, his own blue ones very earnest. The girl gave him a small nod, not sure what to say at this moment.

" If you could give back my wand now, please." Blaise asked. Ginny tossed it at him. He catched it with ease shaking his head. " You have a lot to learn little Griff." he murmured. Then he glanced at his watch. " It will be six in a little while. We should go. We can meet her again tomorrow at three and talk about the training." The Slytherin stood up. " Wait!" Ginny called out. "I …well it's not easy for me to sneak around. I mean you saw me after all. If anybody sees us together we need some kind of excuse…" " We can always say we have a forbidden secret affair." Blaise answered with another charming smile. " Or perhaps better not. I don't want your twenty brothers after my blood. Didn't your books teach you anything that could help us?"

" I don't know. Wait…Hide in plain sight." "What?" "Hide in plain sight. It's an advice in _Covert Tactics for Wizards, _but if you don't like it…"

But Blaise had a huge grin on his face: " No! That's brilliant. You're a genius, Ginny!"

He grabbed her arm and begun to pull her towards the door.

"_Ginny_?" the redhead thought." _Well I figure we are now on first name basis."_

"Blaise?" she asked. " What exactly is so brilliant about it? I mean what's the plan actually?" " I did not make a joke when I said you have a beautiful singing voice. And guess what, we're lucky: I play the guitar. So the perfect plan will be the following: You and I, we will start a band!" Blaise's eyes sparkled excitedly at the prospect. " You are joking, yes?" the little Gryffindor next to him said. " Because that's the worst plan I ever…" " No. It's brilliant! We will have a perfect excuse to hang out with each other _every day_!"

Seeing his obvious enthusiasm Ginny gave in: " Ok! Ok! But I have one last question. Why are you doing this, Blaise?" The Slytherin looked at her pensively. " Can I tell you a secret?" " Yes, of course." He drew closer to her. " I always wanted to be part of a band that is more famous than the Weird Sisters!" he added with a smirk.

"Blaise! Really! What I meant was: Why didn't you ask one of your house members to train with you?" He sighed: " That wouldn't be very smart, or what do you think?"

He wasn't implying what she thought he was implying. Or…?

" But you are _friends_ with Malfoy. Why didn't you ask him?" " You don't like him, don't you?" " No, I _hate _him! He's an evil, arrogant, pompous, little bastard who thinks he is better than everyone else. "

Blaise gave her a sad look: " Hate. That's a very strong word... But to answer your question. There is another saying: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

Ginny was shocked:" You think I'm your enemy?"

The Slytherin smiled at her and softly pulled on one of her red locks:" Never said that I meant you, little Griff."

Before she could answer anything Blaise turned around and opened the door leading to the corridor. " Oh, and I will have the flyers for the audition ready by tomorrow! " he called back over his shoulder when he vanished from the room leaving an utterly confused Ginny behind.

_Audition? _

**AN:**

Dear Readers,

I know, I know Blaise is in the same year as Harry and the others… But I just had to put him in Ginny's year in this fic. A lot of funny scenes would not be possible if he wasn't in her classes, so I hope you forgive me.

I hope there aren't too many grammar or spelling mistakes as I'm no native speaker. Feel free to tell me if you see any.

Scubarang and LJGDBE: Thank you very much for your wonderful reviews. You really give me a reason to continue with the story. I was very happy that someone actually liked it.

Oh and Draco will appear in the next chapter. I promise.


	4. Hiding in plain sight

**Disclaimer:**

Everything that reminds you of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**Hiding in plain sight**

Ginny Weasley stood in the corridor in front of the Great Hall making up a dozen ways to kill a certain Slytherin named Blaise Zabini.

" _Why is he doing this to me? _" she thought furious with herself for trusting him in the first place. "_The whole school will laugh at me before this day is over." _

She was looking at the flyer Blaise had promised to make, which was hanging on the wall just left of the doors to the hall.

Only that it wasn't a flyer. No, it was a monstrosity in bright red and green, higher than seven feet. Ginny began to read what her 'wonderful' partner had written on it:

**Hogwarts First Band!!!**

Are you bored of all the normal activities in Hogwarts?

Fed up with Quidditch and Magic Chess?

Do you want to try something new and extraordinary?

Do you have style, glamour and play an instrument?

Then try out at the audition for Hogwarts first real band!

For additional information please contact:

Ginny Weasley (lead singer) or Blaise Zabini (lead guitar)

"_The plan was to provide us with a credible alibi. Not to paint a target on my back. I…" _

"Hey Weaslette! Don't you think there is something wrong with that poster?" a drawling, all too familiar voice interrupted Ginny's thoughts.

" _The last person I want to meet now. Wonderful. Fate really hates me…"_

Ginny slowly turned around. He stood in front of her, his silver blond hair nearly falling in his grey eyes, which glared at her with a look of utter disdain.

Behind him were, as always, his huge cronies Crabbe and Goyle, more henchman and bodyguard than friends. And of course Pansy Parkinson with a sneer on her face, her dark hair contrasting starkly with her pale skin.

Ginny tried to fight her uneasy feeling, " Malfoy!" she hissed.

He ignored her: " I mean it's a bit unfair to demand style and glamour, if you yourself don't have any."

Immediately Pansy's high pitched laugh echoed through the corridor. Crabbe and Goyle joined her a moment later, it probably took them a moment to understand the joke.

" Listen Malfoy! I'm really not in the mood…", the little Gryffindor desperately tried to get away, but Malfoy was now walking around her in a tight circle, examining her from head to toe.

" That's too bad little muggle-lover, because _we_ are in the mood!" Another laugh from Crabbe and Goyle. " Or are worn down second-hand clothes a new style, Weaslette?" he was now standing directly behind her whispering in her ear. She could feel his breath on her skin sending a cold shiver down her spine.

" Oh yes, we could call it the Weasley style!" Parkinson added with a cruel smile.

Ginny contemplated drawing her wand and hexing them all. Only that it was four against one. She would be lucky if she even got one of them before they hexed her in return or did something worse. Goyle's and Crabbe's hands looked like big shovels, she did not want them around her neck.

" Think what you want Malfoy. But it seems your friend Zabini does not share your opinion of me.", the redhead flung at the Slytherin.

" Ah, yes. That is the big mystery here, isn't it? Why should someone like Blaise mess about with someone like you, little Weasel? You aren't doing any _special_ favours for him, are you?"

Ginny was furious:" You are a sick, perverted…"

" Language Weasley, language. I did not really think that. Nobody would sink so low to actually touch filth like you. Not even Potter." Malfoy snarled Harry's name." Are you doing this for him? You want to get Potters attention. How sweet. But believe me you could walk into the Great Hall stark naked and he wouldn't notice it."

As the other Slytherins started to laugh again Ginny felt angry tears well up in her eyes.

Of course Malfoy noticed it:" Oh did we make you sad, little Gryff? The truth hurts sometimes. But, however, I will find out what's the meaning of this one way or another. Of that you can be sure."

He glared at her one last time before he motioned to his cronies and Parkinson to follow him inside the hall.

As Ginny watched them leave she gathered her courage to say one last thing: " You know Malfoy, Blaise wants me in the band because I'm a good singer. That's the only reason."

" That's not really surprising!" the Slytherin answered without turning back to her. " I mean it's not as if your parents could afford to buy you an instrument…"

Ginny was angry with herself. Why did she always let him have the last word? She stared blindly at the band poster without really seeing it.

" I thought both of our house colours intertwined added a nice touch, don't you think?", she heard Blaise's voice behind her.

" Oh yes, just brilliant!" she spat at him.

" Hey, you don't have to be bitchy to _me _just because _you _were not able to stand up to Malfoy. "

" You were there all the time? Why didn't you help me?"

" I thought that was the point of our training. You want to be able to handle situations like that on your own. I just wanted to see how much you have learned so far. Not much it seems. "

Ginny had enough. With a load growl she grabbed Blaise's Slytherin tie and pushed him against the wall. " How can you say that. It was four against one. And they are all older and bigger than me. There was nothing I could do…"

Blaise looked at her, his blue eyes piercing:" You could have tried! You were standing there playing the victim. Poor Ginny, only there to be picked on!"

The little redhead was furious with him. Why didn't he understand that she just couldn't fight back when Malfoy was concerned?

In a quick motion she had her wand at his throat screaming:" Do I look like a victim now?" Blaise eyes went wide with shock. Ginny immediately felt sorry.

" Oh Blaise I'm sorry. I…" He stopped her with a finger on her lips. When she looked up at him she expected him to be angry, but his eyes were only full of …amusement? Blaise smiled at her: " That's the little spitfire we all know and love."

" That's not funny Blaise." " Oh yes it is." he replied.

" Miss Weasley, Mister Zabini is there anything amiss?" Professor Dumbledore was standing in the corridor a shrewd smile on his lips.

"Mmh… no professor. Only a ..a.. an artistic disagreement." Ginny stuttered blushing.

" Oh yes. Mister Zabini has already told me about your project." _" I don't think there is one soul in this school left he hasn't told._"

Dumbledore looked at the poster pensively." You know I will always gladly support any idea that strengthens inter house unity. I really hope you are successful." With on last wink directed at them he passed through the big door.

Blaise grinned at Ginny " Told you the house colours were a brilliant idea." The Gryffindor slowly nodded:" Perhaps…What is it with this thing anyway? That's definitely no flyer."

Blaise began to rummage around in his bag." Of course not. That's a poster. These are the flyers." He showed Ginny a huge package of small flyers that looked exactly like the poster.

" And what should I do with those?" Ginny asked.

" Hand them to everyone before lunch, what else? Oh, and tell everybody who's interested that the audition is tomorrow at five o'clock." When Blaise noticed Ginny's glare, he added: " And since you asked so nicely: I will do the Slytherin table."

Ginny closed her eyes and sighed:" Why do I have the feeling you are taking over my life?"

" Why not? It's not as if you're doing anything with it."

" Will you stop saying things like that one day?"

" Will you stand up to Malfoy one day?"

Ginny extended her hand to him: " Just give me the bloody flyers, okay?"

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Blaise watched as Ginny stood at the Ravenclaw table chatting animatedly with a blond girl who was in their year. Blaise couldn't remember what her name was. When he examined her more thoroughly the radish earrings triggered a memory. Something with Loony…

He had already finished his two tables, Slytherin and Hufflepuff, what was mostly due to the fact that none of the Hufflepuffs had the guts to actually ask him a question.

Ginny was now laughing about something that Loony girl told her. It was amazing how a real smile transformed her face. Her brown eyes sparkled with a golden shine and her face glowed with the rare joy of someone who really loved life.

It was the same look she had when she was training Blaise mused. Still it was only one of the many faces he had seen on Ginny Weasley. The young witch full of life was a very different Ginny to the depressed, sad little girl who let herself be tormented by Draco Malfoy and his friends.

It always astonished him how she could change in a few seconds from spirited to subdued, from bold to quiet. Blaise asked himself if anyone had ever seen the _real_ Ginny Weasley. He guessed not. But from what he had learned so far about her, he was quite sure that one day the little Gryffindor would surprise them all. And that was something he did not want to miss. In fact it was the reason why he decided to befriend the redhead even risking the anger of his fellow Slytherins.

Which he would have to face in about …now.

" Well Blaise, it seems you have developed a taste for dirty little blood traitors! Perhaps you should sit at Gryffindor table if you like them so much." Urquhart, a Slytherin third year, who had a disturbing resemblance to a troll, spat, when Blaise sat down between Goyle and Tracy Davies.

" And perhaps you should keep your nose out of things that have nothing to do with you. Unless you want to loose it that is." Blaise answered with a menacing glare at the other Slytherin.

" Oh Blaise you are not _in love _with that little Weasley bird, aren't you?" Pansy Parkinson's shrill voice cut through all conversations at the table like a knife. Blaise really did not know how Draco put up with her. He had detested her from the first moment they met and could not come up with one positive trait concerning her. She wasn't pretty, intelligent or nice, three things he counted among the virtues he looked for in a girl. There was nothing but the money. But that was something Draco did not need in the slightest.

By now the whole table stared at him. " I can assure you, Pansy dear, I'm definitely not interested in Ginny Weasley in a romantic way." the blue eyed Slytherin told the witch with a very false, charming smile. He did not lie. Though he found the Gryffindor to be attractive, it was not her looks that intrigued him. It was the feeling that Ginny had a great potential, she only needed a push in the right direction to make something out of it. And Blaise was very good in pushing.

"I only needed a singer for my band and it seems she is exceptionally talented. You know I wouldn't settle for anything less than the best." The last remark he only added to remind her of the fact that he threw her out of his room only a few weeks ago when she tried to hit on him. The comment was lost on Parkinson it seemed.

" But you could have asked _me_. " she whined.

" Don't be ridiculous Pansy! With your voice you would only scare people away."

Draco Malfoy interrupted her making the dark haired girl lean back in her seat sulkily. " _Ah, now it gets interesting. The prince of Slytherin graces us with his opinion." _Blaise thought with a hint of amusement. He leaned over Goyle to watch his friend.

Blaise knew that the fact that he and Malfoy were friends was a mystery to most people. After all he wasn't the typical Slytherin and Malfoy… well he sometimes seemed to be the epitome of all Slytherin characteristics. But when they first met over a year ago, Blaise had just felt it. A kinship that couldn't be explained with mere words, something more than the normal friendship you had with your classmates.

He had never felt something like this again…until the day he decided to follow Ginny Weasley when she sneaked away after lessons.

It was kind of weird that the only two people he really felt connected to in his life, should be so very different. Polar opposites you could say.

Perhaps he had a split personality. He would talk about it with his head healer at their next meeting. His mother forced him to visit one after a slip-up at her fifth wedding.

Blaise smiled as he remembered how he had asked his new stepfather if the design at the funeral should match the one at the wedding. He had never liked the men his mother married, bloody fools. Except… _A glass fell to the floor spilling a dark liquid all over an expensive carpet. Brown eyes looked at him pleadingly. "Blaise, please_.." Blaise shuddered and tried to get the images out of his mind. Now was not the time to remember these things. He concentrated on Draco again.

" Now, Blaise, we both know that her good singing voice is not the only reason why you are suddenly interested in Weaslette." Cold silver eyes bore into Blaise's blue ones trying to find answers. " If you say so." Blaise tried to appear unruffled by his best friends scrutiny.

" Keep your little secrets for now if you have to. I will find out eventually." Draco turned back to his food. Blaise was slightly unnerved. " _Oh, I really look forward to the day Ginny will have the guts to stand up to you."_ he thought. Draco was his friend but he really detested his arrogant behaviour sometimes.

" I still don't think, that Zabini should have secrets from us. " Marcus Flint said with a nasty glare at Blaise.

" You know Flint we _all_ have our secrets. " Blaise answered coolly. He then leaned forward and looked at the whole table with a dangerous glint in his blue eyes.

" And we _all_ don't want them to become public knowledge, don't we?"

Blaise watched with an amused smile as Flint and several other people blushed and were suddenly very interested in their food again.

It never hurt to have something up one's sleeve.

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Ginny, dressed again in her trainings gear, ran down the stairs from the girl's dormitory to the Gryffindor common room.

She was already late for her meeting with Blaise at the Room of Requirement, though it was not really her fault. Who would have thought that so many people were interested in their band? Ginny had spent the whole Saturday afternoon answering questions about everything. How many people did they need? Which kind of music did they want to play? Since Ginny had not spoken with Blaise about most of this things she had to make up the answers sometimes. She only hoped the audition tomorrow would not end in a complete disaster.

Ginny was already at the portrait hole when her brother's voice stopped her: " Where are you going Ginny?" The redhead turned around to see Ron sitting on a table with Harry and Hermione. Hermione was scribbling something on a scroll, probably her homework, and Harry was reading in _"Quidditch Through the Ages_".

" I'm meeting Blaise Zabini in the library. I have to talk with him about some things concerning our band."

Ron's blue eyes went wide. " Wait. Him? You mean Blaise Zabini is a _boy_?"

" No, Ron, he's a hippogriff. Of course he's a boy."

An angry red colour began to spread on her brother's face. "Let me get this straight. My little sister wants to meet a _Slytherin _boy with whom she is in a _band. _Come on Gin, he's only leading you into some kind of a trap. You know how this slimy, cunning Slytherins are. Or… " A look of pure horror crossed his face. " You and him. You aren't…I mean…"

" Blaise and I are only _friends_, Ron. So calm down okay? We have common interests like music. And for a Slytherin he is really nice. What's so bad about that? " Ginny started to feel a bit irritated with Ron. She knew he only wanted to protect her, but she had to go now.

Ron stood up and grabbed her arm: " No Ginny, I don't think this is a good idea. I mean you can't even sing. I will tell Mum about this and she will…"

"What?" His sister felt her anger at him rise. " You don't even _know_ if I can sing. You never heard me. And for your information Professor Dumbledore already approved of the band idea. He thinks it's great. "

" Ron." Hermione interrupted their dispute. " If Professor Dumbledore thinks it is a good idea you should let Ginny decide on her own. I think it's wonderful that they are doing something to improve the inter house unity." Hermione smiled at Ginny warmly before she scolded Ron . " And really Ron. Ginny is old enough to make her own decisions."

" That's exactly the problem. What do you think, Harry? " Ron looked at Harry inquiringly. But when Harry looked up from his book, his black hair a bit messy and his green eyes confused, it became very clear he had not heard one word of their conversation. " Ohm, yes? " , he murmured.

Ginny was furious. _" Malfoy was right. I could walk around stark naked and he would not even realize I'm there."_

" I mean after what happened last year we all know that Ginny can't look after herself…" was Ron saying now. His sister exploded.

" Ronald Bilius Weasley! This is the limit. Stop meddling with my life or I will make you rue the day you were born." Ginny had grabbed her brother's robes and was screaming at him, her red hair dancing around her shoulders like angry flames. Ron seemed to shrink back when she glared daggers at him. Abruptly she let go of him and stormed to the door.

" And it would not even be your damned business if I started to dance the hula with Gregory Goyle or bloody Draco Malfoy. " , Ginny hissed before she slammed shut the portrait hole behind her, leaving the common room in an astonished silence.

After a few seconds the muttering began in every corner.

" Wow, so that is the infamous Weasley temper." Hermione said still a bit dazed. " You're still alive _Bilius_?" She laughed out loud when she saw Ron's offended face.

Ginny furiously stomped through the corridor to the Room of Requirement. She thought that she had never been angrier with her brother in her whole life.

" _Why do they always treat me like a child? Like I'm too dumb to even look after myself. One mistake and I'm the naïve, incapable little girl forever? Sorry, I'm not the perfect, impeccable hero like Harry Potter."_

With a growl she tore the door to the room open. Blaise was already standing in the middle of the room. He was dressed similar to Ginny only that he wore a green sweater. " You're a little bit late. I …" She ignored him and aimed her wand at one of the walls. " Expulso!", she screamed. Immediately the mirrors on this side of the room exploded sending shards of glass everywhere.

" Hey Ginny! Are you crazy? That glass could have hurt us. You should use a shield charm before you do things like that. " Blaise was still protecting his face with his hands. When he saw the look on Ginny's face he took her arm guiding her to the two armchairs. " What happened?" , he asked.

" Nothing. Just a little argument with my stupid idiot of a brother. It's not of any importance." Ginny felt a lot calmer now that she had let off steam. And she really did not want to talk about her argument with Ron now. She knew that Blaise would ask questions and then she would have to talk about the Chamber with him. " _And soon he would think I'm incapable like all the others." _

So she reached over and took one of the books pretending that nothing had happened.

" With what kind of spells should we start?"

Blaise examined her for a long moment, but then he only cast a quick _Reparo! _on the broken mirrors making the room appear just like before Ginny's little outburst.

" I don't know. With all the Dementors around here at the moment the Patronus charm would be useful. But it's a very advanced spell. I'm not sure we can handle it."

" Of course we can. In which book is it described?" Ginny began to rummage through the pile of books until she found the right one.

" It says that we have to think of a particular happy memory and then cast the charm. Then our personal Patronus takes form, but sometimes it's not more than a silver mist form. Okay let's try."

Blaise and Ginny went to the middle of the room. " At three." Blaise said.

Ginny tried to think of a happy memory. Christmas with her family? The first time she saw Harry? No, the day she was accepted at Hogwarts!

" One , two, three! Expecto patronum!" they both screamed the last two words. Nothing happened.

" I told you that won't be easy." Blaise sighed. The Gryffindor flashed him a determined smile: " Again!"

Over an hour later the Slytherin had given up. The only thing that they had accomplished so far was a thin wisp of silver mist at the tip of Ginny's wand.

" Come on Ginny. We should try something else. It's not going to work."

Ginny looked at her partner. " Only one last time okay?"

She was disappointed that it did not work. Perhaps if she used another memory? Something stronger. But there wasn't anything she hadn't tried yet.

Then something occurred to her. A flesh of red…soft white feathers. Firefly!

Concentrating on her feelings when she had healed the little scorpibird she raised her wand again: " Expecto patronum!" A white light exploded from her wand illuminating the whole room. The silver mist began to take shape. Ginny watched in awe as a silver horse galloped through the room. Only when it stopped directly in front of her she realised she had been wrong. A long spiral horn penetrated from its forehead. " An unicorn!" Ginny whispered. After softly touching her hand the patronus began to fade vanishing a few seconds later.

" You, Ginny Weasley, are the most amazing witch I ever met!" Blaise grabbed her and swung her around him in a circle. " You've done it, Ginny!"

Ginny laughed when he let her down: " Well it seems it was only because I picked the right memory. Perhaps you should try again?"

Blaise smiled at her sadly: " I don't think so. You know, the Patronus charm has always been a problem for us Slytherins. Too few happy memories, I guess."

They sat down on the table again. Ginny looked at the blue-eyed boy:" But you are not like the other Slytherin, aren't you?"

" Perhaps. You know when the Sorting hat put me into Slytherin he said it was because I'm cunning and ambitious. But I never believed in all this pureblood crap or wanted to become a Deatch Eater. I mean, come on black cloaks and masks? No fashion sense at all if you ask me."

Ginny smiled at his words but did not let herself be distracted: " But don't the other Slytherins know that you are… well… not convinced of their cause?"

" They suspect it I think. Furthermore it has never been a Slytherin cause to rid the world of all muggleborns only You-know-who's. So as long as I stay true to the house I'm safe."

Ginny thought about that: " But if you are friends with someone like me, won't they think that is treason?"

Blaise grinned:" Ah yes, but it lies in their best interest not to become my enemy. You see I have a certain… gift." " What?" " I'm good at finding secrets. I just get a feeling when someone is hiding something and then I try to find out what it is. Over the last year I found out enough about most of my house members to be safe. After all they are Slytherins they would never risk their own skin."

The redhead could not help herself: " What secrets?" " Curious aren't we, Gin? Well for example I caught Marcus Flint snogging a second year a few weeks ago."

" Eew, isn't he in seventh year?" " And he had to do the sixth year over again."

" That's disgusting. Thus he can't do anything to you unless he wants you to go straight to Dumbledore with this information. Nice. What do you know about Malfoy?"

Blaise shook his head:" Nothing. I don't need anything, he's my friend." As he saw Ginny's flabbergasted look he decided to change the topic. She would not believe him anyway.

" There is only one thing I never understood. I did not get the secret feeling from you. What means you either have no secrets, what is very unlikely, or that you are very good at hiding them. There has to be a reason why someone who is such a gifted witch let others treat her so poorly. Before I followed you I never realized you were in my class, although you are probably the best pupil in our year. The teachers love you, even Snape doesn't distaste you like the other Gryffindors. So why are you making yourself so small? " Ginny began to panic. She couldn't tell him. He wouldn't understand.

Blaise took her hands and looked at her with a comforting smile on his face. " Gin, whatever it is. You can tell me. I will still be your friend, okay?"

For a moment Ginny just wanted to run away. Then she sighed. It would be wonderful to confide in someone. And somehow, though she did not really know him that well, she was sure she could trust Blaise.

She swallowed and began to talk. She told him everything: About Firefly, Harry, her family, Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat and finally about the Chamber of Secrets.

It was over two hours later when she finished. Blaise was a perfect listener she thought. Always comforting her, but never judging anything he heard.

Ginny watched as Blaise stood up walking through the room obviously lost in his thoughts. " So _you _opened the Chamber. Amazing. The other Slytherins would crack if they knew this. And you can't stand up to Malfoy because you are in fact afraid of his father ?"

" Yes, I mean every time he stares at my with this cold grey eyes I panic. I can't help it. He's just so much like his father. "

Blaise sighed: " No he isn't. Not yet that is. Well if we want you to overcome this fear you will have to face it."

" You want me to face _Lucius Malfoy_?" Ginny screeched. " No, of course not. That man is creepy I agree with you. I meant that the next time Draco tries to pick on you, you tell him that you have enough of his shit."

" I'm _dead _if I do this! " the Gryffindor said shocked. Blaise grinned not very sympathetically: " Perhaps. But I promise to show you some nasty hexes you can put on him before you go down." " You're unbelievable Blaise Zabini, you know that?"

" People tend to say that, yes. Oh and one more thing. Forget Potter and his friends. If they don't see what a great person you are, it's there own fault. You have your own friends and your own talents. I mean there's this Creevey kid and me and that Loony girl…" " Her name is Luna." Ginny interrupted him.

" Yes Luna. And now you are in a band. Not to forget that you managed a spell today that many adult wizards have problems with. I don't think your brother could do anything like that. You're a wonderful person Ginny, you just have to give yourself a chance."

Ginny felt tears well up in her eyes as she listened to him. " Blaise…", she whispered and took his hand. " Thank you. For everything." " He smiled at her, a twinkle in his blue eyes: " That's what friends are for. And now I want to try something. Hit me!"

"What?" " Hit me! We have to train some old style fighting, too. Or do you want to be defenceless when someone takes your wand away?"

Ginny hesitated a moment, she could not hurt her friend, but then she boxed him in the chest, though without much force.

" Oh come. Not even a first year Hufflepuff would be afraid of that. That was pathetic. Just imagine I'm your brother. Or better: Imagine I'm Malfoy!"

Ginny still hesitated. He did not really mean that, did he?

" Come on you filthy little blood traitor is that all you've got?" Blaise imitated Malfoy rather well. Perhaps a bit too well. Ginny saw Malfoy's smirking face in front of her as she hit him square on the nose with all her might. There was an audible crack and Blaise went down on the floor, his nose splattering blood on his green sweater.

"Oh Blaise I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Ginny immediately knelt beside him. " I think you broke my nose….Oh that bloody hurts."

Ginny gave Blaise a tissue, which he pressed on his bleeding nose. His normally brown skin looked a bit pale to the Gryffindor. " Let me help you up. We have to bring you to the Hospital Wing."

Ginny grabbed one of Blaise's arms and pulled him to his feet. He was leaning heavily on her when they made their way to the door.

" I'm really sorry, Blaise." Ginny said feeling horrible for hurting him. " Don't worry little Griff. Uh… I asked you to hit me after all. And what a hit that was." he started to giggle but stopped when his nose started to bleed again. Ginny was a bit worried that he hit his head harder than she thought.

" It's so _not _funny. What will we tell Poppy? " Ginny asked a bit nervously.

" Don't worry. I fell down the stairs, you found me. And good Gryffindor that you are you helped me to the Hospital Wing. Just do me favour: If Malfoy picks on you again do exactly the same thing you did to me. I'd love to see his face when a little Griff breaks his nose." They had finally reached the corridor to the Hospital Wing. " You know if Malfoy really is your friend, you have a strange way of showing it."

Blaise grinned what looked rather gruesome due to all the blood in his face: " He's an arrogant git sometimes, you are right about that. Perhaps it will do some good to show him his limits."

" Blaise Zabini, unselfish saviour of every poor soul in Hogwarts. We aren't your newest social project, are we?" Shaking her head she dragged a partly laughing, partly groaning Blaise to Madam Pomfrey.

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Ginny stood in the room Dumbledore had allowed them to use for their band practice.

The room was just perfect. It was round with large windows on all sides to let the light in. The acoustics were very good as she and Blaise had already tested and there was a little stage at one side of the room. The headmaster had even thought about providing them with drums, magical amps and two magical micros that did not need any wires.

" I think we're ready! It's ten minutes to five. Oh Merlin, I'm so nervous. What if nobody comes?" " Calm down, Ginny!" Blaise was tuning up his electric guitar, which was black and silver and looked very expensive, he was as calm as ever in a green shirt and jeans. Fortunately Poppy had been able to heal his nose very quickly yesterday and now it looked exactly as before it collided with Ginny's fist.

" You will see a lot of people will come. This is Hogwarts after all. Many will just come to see what happens."

Blaise had just stopped speaking when the doors to the room opened with a bang. And then a flood of people drowned the room.

" Merlin, that must be nearly 200 people. The whole school is here." Ginny whispered to Blaise who was now standing with her at the edge of the little stage.

" Well, Ginny, now is not the time to be afraid of public appearances." he answered while they waited for the other students to settle down. Most just sat down on the floor in front of the stage. Immediately conversations began and soon it was so loud that Ginny could not even understand Luna Lovegood who sat directly in front of the stage and called something up to her.

Then she saw them. Draco Malfoy and his friends were standing at the entrance occasionally pointing at her and laughing. She couldn't do this! Ginny felt her knees become weak.

A strong hand grabbed her shoulder. "They are only here to unsettle you. And you don't want to give them what they want, do you? So calm down, Gin." Blaise looked at her encouragingly. Ginny nodded. She could not let him down after everything he had done for her.

" Okay, don't worry. I can do this.", she told him with a determined look on her face that did not even waver when she saw Ron, Harry and Hermione enter the room.

They had whispered the whole time because the stage was magically enhanced to carry every sound to the waiting audience.

Now Blaise went to the middle of the stage and addressed the other students.

" Welcome to Hogwarts first band audition!" The crowd went quiet. Ginny could only envy Blaise, he looked as if he did things like that every day!

" Let me first introduce myself and my wonderful partner Miss Ginny Weasley!" He motioned at her with a dazzling smile. Ginny smiled shyly and gave a little wave. She saw Luna Lovegood enthusiastically waving back at her knocking a third year Hufflepuff in the head while doing so.

Ginny was glad she dressed with care this morning. She wore her tightest pair of jeans and a black top with little glittering strass stones, which formed a guitar, on it. Additionally she had asked her roommate Jules to help her charm her hair to make it very straight and shiny. Still she didn't feel very comfortable with all this people staring at her.

Blaise had introduced himself and was now explaining how he and Ginny thought the only thing that was really missing in Hogwarts was a band.

" I mean, come one the only thing we have is that awful choir. That's perhaps something for a Puff, but no real music."

Everyone laughed at that except the Hufflepuffs. The Slytherin then explained that they wanted to meet twice a week for band practices. _" He really put a lot of thought into this."_ Ginny realised.

" Well, we will now hear everyone who wants to have a place in the band. I think 5 minutes for each contestant should be enough. Ginny and I will then decide who is in the band, but we will of course take the reaction of the audience into account."

Blaise smiled at the students:" Who wants to be the first?"

For a moment it was very silent, it was very obvious that many people only came to see what Ginny and Blaise were planning and the ones who actually came for the audition were intimidated by the large crowd.

" I will start!" Luna Lovegood stood up and joined Blaise and Ginny on the stage.

A whisper started in the audience.

" You know Loony hearing voices is not considered being a musician." Pansy Parkinson called out in her shrill voices. The Slytherins started to laugh, a few even whistled. But Luna stayed calm. She only smiled slightly and said in her dreamy voice: " I play the drums."

Blaise nodded and guided her to the drums Dumbledore had provided.

" Show us what you've got Lovegood." he said with a wink at the blond girl.

And she did. Her radish earrings swinging wildly Luna began a slow rhythm, which got quicker and quicker.

"Wow!" Ginny whispered at Blaise. "She's really good! It's a shame she is a bit you know.." " Crazy? That's no problem. In a good band the drummer is always a bit crazy. And she's hot…in a weird way."

After Luna had finished everyone started to clap, except the Slytherins of course.

"That was amazing Luna!" Ginny gave her a thumbs up.

" Thank you Ginny! You are very nice." Luna smiled serenely and left the stage.

Unfortunately the performances that followed were not nearly as good as hers.

A Hufflepuff forth year tried to play the guitar and was so awful that everybody began to jeer after not more than 30 seconds.

After that it got worse and worse, it seemed that many people only entered the stage because they thought it was funny. Ginny really doubted that all of them touched an instrument prior to that day.

" That's pointless. They only come up here to get laughed at by the crowd. Parvati and Lavender even tried to play the flute. A flute in a band? Please." The Gryffindor was exasperated. Then Colin Creevey entered the competition. Like Blaise he played the guitar and he did it very well. When he finished the crowd clapped again.

" He is quite good." , Blaise muttered." Not as good as _I _am, but good. "

" And you think _Malfoy _is arrogant?" Ginny answered.

" I'm just honest, that's a difference." Blaise turned to Colin. " Well, Creevey that wasn't bad. It's a shame we already have a guitarist. You don't play the bass guitar too, don't you?" Colin blushed a bit:" Well, sometimes when I practice with my brother. " " Brilliant. Bletchley give him your bass guitar. I want to hear how good he is with it." Blaise told a third year Slytherin, who had tried to play the bass very abysmally before.

" Excuse me!" Colin said: " I wanted to try out for the lead guitar."

" That place is obviously taken, Creevey!"

" If you are so good, Zabini, then you could play something for us. Come on, entertain us a bit!" Ron Weasley shouted from his place near the door. Ginny thought about strangling her brother, when a lot of people began to call for a performance of the Slytherin.

But Blaise only smiled and grabbed his guitar.

"My pleasure!" he said and to began to play a very famous song of the Weird Sisters "_This is the night_". When he came to the refrain many students started to sing.

" _He's as good as he said!" _Ginny thought admiring her friend's performance.

Because Blaise really performed the song, giving the crowd a true show. He jumped up and down shaking his head to the music and in the end he slid on his knees over the stage playing an incredible solo. His fingers moved so fast on the guitar that Ginny could not even follow them. The crowd went wild, clapping and cheering before Blaise even ended.

Ginny hugged him fiercely, happy that he had succeeded.

" Mate, that was awesome!" Colin Creevey joined them and extended his hand to Blaise. After a seconds hesitation the other boy took it with a firm grasp.

" I feel very humble now. Perhaps I could still try out for the bass guitar?"

After the room went quiet again, Colin started to play. As it turned out he was nearly as good with the bass as with the normal guitar.

Blaise looked at Ginny: " He will do! We should end this now. In fact we don't need more instruments then a bass and the drums. And I think we both now who will be our drummer." Ginny nodded. The only other drummer, besides Luna, who really earned that name was Zacharias Smith from Hufflepuff and she really disliked his pompous way.

" Okay guys, I think it's time for our decision!" Blaise called out. The crowd went totally quiet.

Then a cold voice spoke: " Haven't you forgotten something? We haven't heard our singer yet." Instantly many people began to scream things like: "We want to hear Ginny!" and " Sing, Weasley, sing!"

" Ginny has no competitors for her position. I don't think it is necessary…"

"_I_ want to try for the position!", Romilda Vane stood up from her place and slowly went up on the stage. She throw a condescending glance at Ginny and turned to the audience. " My mother is a professional singer and taught me to sing since I was a little child." she told the audience throwing back her long, black locks. " I will sing a song from Celestina Warbeck, that means very much to me."

As Romilda started to sing _"A cauldron full of hot, strong love" _Ginny realised that she had a problem. Because Romilda wasn't bad, not bad at all. Her voice was perhaps a little bit too high, but she made no obvious mistakes. When she finished a lot of people cheered loudly.

" Now Weasley do you think you can top that?" Pansy Parkinson cried out.

Draco Malfoy began to intone "Go Weasel! Go Weasel!" and the other Slytherins and even a few members of the other house joined him.

Ginny felt a queasy feeling in her stomach. "Blaise!" she hissed." I think I'm going to be sick!" He looked at her very seriously:" Gin, I fear you will have to do this now. There's no other way. You can do this Ginny! You are much better than her!"

When he saw her panic, he leaned closer:" You know, there is a trick if you are nervous. Just concentrate on one person and imagine you are all alone with this person. You are only singing in front of one person, okay?" he squeezed her hand for a moment.

"You can do it, Ginny!" Harry Potter called from his place next to Ron. Ginny felt herself blush. " Just don't pick Potter." Blaise advised before he picked up his guitar again. " Can you play "_Magic Works_"? " Ginny asked him. He nodded.

As Blaise began to play, Ginny grabbed the micro and scanned the crowd.

"_Concentrate on one person, Ginny." _she told herself. But on whom?

Her brother? He did not even think that she could sing. Not Harry. Hermione?

Then she knew. There was one person who wanted to see her fail more than everybody else. One person who thought that she could do nothing right.

If she convinced him, she would convince everybody.

Concentrating very hard on Draco Malfoy Ginny began to sing.

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AN: Actually I wanted to add two more scenes to this chapter, but since it is already very long I decided against it. But I promise to upload them very soon.

Thank you very much for the nice reviews. I only wished there were more.

The reviews are what really keeps me inspired. So please review!

PS: You won't have to wait long for Ginny standing up to Malfoy. In fact it will be in the next chapter.


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